European Immunization Week 2023 and the Big Catch-up
European Immunization Week (EIW) takes place across the WHO European Region every year to raise awareness of the importance of immunization in preventing diseases and protecting life. The EIW 2023 campaign on 23–29 April focused on timely routine vaccination and the need to catch up on any vaccinations missed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, while continuing to emphasize the need for COVID-19 vaccination, especially among vulnerable groups.
EIW 2023 was promoted via traditional and digital media platforms across the Region. The week-long campaign was covered by news media in at least 29 of the 53 countries in the Region, bringing attention to the global decline in vaccination rates during the pandemic and “the Big Catch-up” to rebuild population-wide protection. At the same time, targeted social media campaigns were launched by national health authorities, WHO, international partners, civil society organizations and professional associations in at least 26 countries.
The WHO European Regional communications campaign, launched on most major social media platforms, shared messages and videos. These encouraged conversations between parents/caregivers and a health-care provider to address concerns about vaccination, brought attention to the rationale of national vaccination schedules and highlighted the increased risk of measles outbreaks in 2023.
In many countries, WHO’s European Union-funded COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunization projects also contributed to the campaign, emphasizing the need for reinforcing regional health security by addressing immunity gaps at the community level.
As a complement to these traditional and digital media campaigns, a wide range of outreach activities and field events were organized to promote engagement with local communities, strengthen capacity in health-care systems and reach out to underserved populations.
Here are just a few of the highlights from EIW across the WHO European Region.